Sandinistas

On page 50-51, it says that Rushdie supported and even liked the government in Nicaragua. What kind of govenment is in place for the Sandanistas (monarchy, dictatorship, etc.), and how many rights do the people have? In essence, what makes Nicaragua’s government so different that a pessimist like Rushdie would like it?
I say pessimist because he negatively speaks of most countries and their governments. I can’t seem to think of the appropriate word at the moment.